TEENAGERS are to be given lessons on the consequences of crime in a pioneering project at Colne Valley High School.

TEENAGERS are to be given lessons on the consequences of crime in a pioneering project at Colne Valley High School.

Starting this month, 15 and 16-year-olds from the school's 295-strong Year 11 will be taught about the impact on victims and the legal and social penalties of carrying out crimes.

Officers from Kirklees Youth Offending Team will come into school for the lessons.

They are the brainchild of the school's social inclusion co-ordinator Mrs Stella Cawood, who also carries out voluntary work with the Youth Offending Team.

She said: "It seemed to me that this was a very positive way forward, getting the Youth Offending Team involved to explain the consequences of offending behaviour before youngsters get themselves into difficult situations.

"For our young people, it is also about helping them to understand the world they live in and giving them the ability to make informed choices about their behaviour."

Visits will be made to the school once a fortnight to teach students.

The lessons will be part of the school's personal, social, health and citizenship programme.

Jon Bradnum, Youth Offending Team leader, said many of the lessons will involve students watching role-plays to drive home the message.

He said: "We will be looking at crimes such as a person having their bag snatched in the street.

"We will ask questions such as How do they feel? What happens to the victim? What happens to the offender? What are the legalities?"

Mr Bradnum said his team had taken part in a pilot one-off event at the school last year, but this was the first time a full programme had been planned in a Kirklees school.

He confirmed the programme would be evaluated next spring, after which it could be used in other schools in Kirklees if workers, materials and cash were available.